Video recordings of Singh deftly defusing the situation by urging his supporters to respond with "love and courage" — and telling the woman he loved and welcomed her — have since gone viral in Canada and the United States.

But some have wondered why Singh didn't tell the woman that he is Sikh, not Muslim. The MPP addressed that issue directly in a statement released Saturday night.

"Many people have commented that I could have just said I'm not Muslim. In fact, many have clarified that I'm actually Sikh," he said. "While I'm proud of who I am, I purposely didn't go down that road because it suggests their hate would be ok if I was Muslim. We all know it's not.

"I didn't answer the question because my response to Islamophobia has never been 'I'm not Muslim.' It has always been and will be that 'hate is wrong.'"

Singh said he reacted as he did because he needed to "act fast and set the tone" for the room.

"Once allowed to grow, hate doesn't pick and choose, it spreads like fire. Once we say it's ok to hate someone based on their religion, we're also opening the door to hate based on race, gender, sexuality, and more," he said. "It's important that we stand united against all forms of hate.

"It takes love to understand that we're all in this together. It takes courage to come together, demand better and dream bigger, so that we can build a world where no one is left behind."

My response to Islamophobia has never been 'I'm not Muslim.' It has always been and will be that 'hate is wrong.'Jagmeet Singh

One of Singh's rivals, Manitoba MP Niki Ashton, took to Twitter earlier to compliment him for handling the incident with dignity and respect.

Racial attacks are unacceptable. @theJagmeetSingh handled it with dignity & respect. Solidarity with all who confront hate #ndpldr

Shortly after he launched his leadership bid, Singh told HuffPost Canada he realized there would be a lot of attention on his background. If he wins, Singh will become the first non-white person to lead a major federal party in Canada.

"The journey that I'm proposing or the vision that I'm proposing is one where we bring all people along," he said at the time.